Embodiments described herein relate generally to beverage dispensing devices, and more particularly to systems, devices, and methods for dispensing a carbonated beverage having a particular ratio of concentrate to carbonated water.
Typically, draft beer is stored in and dispensed from kegs; however, the use of kegs can present many challenges to brewers, distributors, bars, and restaurants in the implementation of draft beer systems. For example, kegs can be difficult to ship due to their heavy weight, especially when filled. Additionally, kegs are typically expensive to clean. Kegs typically need to be stored in refrigeration rooms and require cooled dispensing lines, such as, for example, glycol chilling lines, in order to dispense beer at desired temperatures. Refrigeration rooms and glycol chilling systems can be expensive and can require a large amount of space and energy, particularly when used in a restaurant or bar. Additionally, kegs typically require diligent care to maintain desired beer carbonation levels and to keep the dispensing lines clean. Thus, there is a need for a beer dispensing system that can be easily operated and maintained and that utilizes ingredients that can be economically transported and stored.
The production of concentrated beer, which is now available, opens up new distribution, storage, and delivery options, similar to how soft drink manufacturers benefit from having soft drink beverages available as a syrup inside a “bag-in-box” configuration. Dispensing beer concentrate from a “bag-in-box” eliminates many of the problems associated with kegs of beer. Concentrated beer is shelf stable without refrigeration, and can be packaged in lightweight disposable containers rather than heavy kegs.
Traditional soda fountain machines make it easy to dispense soft-drink concentrates to customers. However, soda fountain machines are not ideal for dispensing concentrated beer. Typical soda fountain machines operate at high pressures, which can cause beer to become overly foamy when dispensed. Additionally, it is difficult to maintain exact calibrations of syrup to carbonated water ratios in soda fountain machines, which can result in inconsistencies of quality. Depending on the calibrations of individual soda fountain machines, some dispensed beers can be “richer” and others can be “thinner” in flavor profile. Some known fountain machines also mix the soda syrup and carbonated water directly at the specialized head of the dispensing equipment as the soda syrup and carbonated water exit the machine, which results in a visual experience that is dissimilar to the visual experience achieved when beer is dispensed from a keg through a traditional draft beer tap.
It is therefore desirable to have a concentrate dispensing system that precisely dispenses a predetermined ratio of concentrate and carbonated water in a manner that supports the traditional dispensing presentation of a stock draft beer tap. It is further desired that this system be able to function independent of electrical connections, thus simplifying the installation of the equipment and offering greater diversity of applications.